Full disclosure: I am actually turning 41 next week, and in looking at the following survey, it occurs to me that it took me UNTIL I was 40 to do most of these things. Don't try THAT at home, but please read on.

A new survey is out from the Daily Mail, on the "Healthy Lifestyle Changes You Need To Make Before You Hit 40". Here we go:

  • Stop smoking.  No problem here. I had a brief interlude with trying it at a very, very stressed-out point in time this past year (not just for attention), but it didn't really help, so I quit before I started.
  • Stop overeating. It's much easier said than done at any age, but it's important, especially at 40 or older, when your metabolism slows down.
  • Exercise. 30-45 minutes a day, every day, is the rule when you turn 40. It's more important the older you get, especially for your heart. It's also more difficult to find the time and energy to do it. Noticing a pattern here? There's also such a thing as going to the gym too much. Everyone has their limit. Make sure you stay at yours.
  • Get out more. You can't try to catch up on all the partying you missed in your 20s when you turn 40. Trust me, I know, and so do my body and brain. But you still need to step away from the screen and go out and play as often as you can. It maintains meaningful relationships and in some ways, helps you live longer. Going to bed by 9 p.m. is overrated, but so is staying out til 2 a.m. Like everything else...balance.
  • Learn to manage stress. Well, looks like I'm going to wrap it up here. I have a lot of trouble with this one, as most of us do the older we get. It's impossible to completely avoid it. Just don't let it get out of hand. Try some of the above or whatever you find works for you to combat this.

Ironically, it seems like things have to get a little less crazy and stressful in one's work life to even feel up to the task of doing the healthy things like exercising or going out. But they need to be done for my...I mean our own good.

[Source: The Daily Mail]

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